One of the values we hold dearly in OMF in Japan is member care. If the workers are well cared for and feel well cared for, then the work itself is helped. Living in a foreign land often brings its challenges and that not only in the early months, although these can be particulary stressful as a new missionary adapts to so many things that are new, with very little language to help them. One of the ways OMF here helps with care of new members is by what is called a Barnabas scheme. A new missionary (or couple) will have a more senior missionary allocated to them to befriend, encourage, help and pray in the first year of life here. We are just finishing being Barnabas to one couple and have just started with another couple too. It's great to have time with them - we are encouraged and challenged too. Once a month OMF also divides its Sapporo-based missionaries into fellowship groups which are times to share together, eat together, pray for and encourage one another. It is a privilege for us to be able to lead one of these groups. Actually although we've just been here 12 years we seem already to be reaching the stage of veteran (!) missionaries as many of our older colleagues have either retired or otherwise left Japan. It's a joy to be involved in a fellowship where care is a top priority. Hopefully it will always be a value which is well lived-out among the OMF community here.
Sunday, October 31, 2010
Caring for one another
One of the values we hold dearly in OMF in Japan is member care. If the workers are well cared for and feel well cared for, then the work itself is helped. Living in a foreign land often brings its challenges and that not only in the early months, although these can be particulary stressful as a new missionary adapts to so many things that are new, with very little language to help them. One of the ways OMF here helps with care of new members is by what is called a Barnabas scheme. A new missionary (or couple) will have a more senior missionary allocated to them to befriend, encourage, help and pray in the first year of life here. We are just finishing being Barnabas to one couple and have just started with another couple too. It's great to have time with them - we are encouraged and challenged too. Once a month OMF also divides its Sapporo-based missionaries into fellowship groups which are times to share together, eat together, pray for and encourage one another. It is a privilege for us to be able to lead one of these groups. Actually although we've just been here 12 years we seem already to be reaching the stage of veteran (!) missionaries as many of our older colleagues have either retired or otherwise left Japan. It's a joy to be involved in a fellowship where care is a top priority. Hopefully it will always be a value which is well lived-out among the OMF community here.
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I wish there had been such a Barnabas scheme when we went through JLC. It was one thing we were surprised by - that missionaries didn't seem to have much time for us.
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